HEADWAY ELEMENTARY GRAMMAR SUMMARY – ALL UNITS

Unit 1: You and Me – Detailed Grammar

1. Verb "to be"

• Affirmative:

o I am (I’m), You are (You’re), He/She/It is (He’s/She’s/It’s), We/You/They

are (We’re/You’re/They’re).

• Negative:

o I am not (I’m not), You are not (You aren’t), He/She/It is not (He isn’t/She
isn’t/It isn’t), We/You/They are not (We aren’t/You aren’t/They aren’t).

• Questions:

o Am I...? Are you...? Is he/she/it...? Are we/you/they...?

Examples:

• Affirmative: I am from Bristol. / She is my teacher.

• Negative: I’m not a student. / They aren’t here.

• Question: Are you from Chicago? - Yes, I am.

2. Possessive Adjectives

• my, your, his, her, its, our, their

• Used to show possession.

Examples:

• This is my bag.

• What’s her name?

• Their house is big.

3. Verbs: have/go/live/like

• Basic usage in the present tense.

o Affirmative: I have, You live, We go, They like.

 o Negative: I don’t have, She doesn’t go, They don’t live.

o Questions: Do you like...? Does she go...?

Examples:

• Affirmative: I live with my parents.

• Negative: He doesn’t like pizza.

• Question: Do you have a brother?

4. Possessive’s

• Used to indicate possession.

o Rick’s brother = The brother of Rick.

o For plural nouns ending in "s," add only an apostrophe: The teachers’ room.

Examples:

• My sister’s name is Rosie.

• The dog’s tail is long.

• The teachers’ lounge is upstairs.

Example Sentences:

1. I’m Annalisa, and I’m from Italy. (Verb "to be" affirmative)

2. This is her book. (Possessive adjective)

3. Rick’s father is a salesman. (Possessive’s)

Unit 2: A Good Job – Detailed Grammar

1. Present Simple (he/she/it)

• Affirmative:

o Add -s or -es to the base verb for he/she/it.

▪ He works in Scotland. / She teaches at a university.

o For verbs ending in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, or -z, add -es:
 ▪ She watches TV.

o For verbs ending in a consonant + y, change y to -ies:

▪ He studies history.

• Negative:

o Use doesn’t + base verb:

▪ She doesn’t like snakes. / He doesn’t work on Sundays.

• Questions:

o Use Does + subject + base verb?

▪ Does he like his job? / Does she live in California?

Examples:

• Affirmative: Andrew works on an oil rig.

• Negative: He doesn’t live in New Zealand anymore.

• Question: Does she work with animals? - Yes, she does.

2. Questions with "What/Where/How"

• Structure: Question word + does + subject + base verb

o What does Andrew do? - He’s an engineer.

o Where does Claudia live? - She lives in California.

Examples:

• How much does he earn? - He earns £200 a day.

• Where does she work? - In the Mojave Desert.

3. Negatives with Present Simple

• Use doesn’t for he/she/it and don’t for other subjects.

o He doesn’t go to the gym every day.

o We don’t work on weekends.

Example Sentences:

1. Claudia teaches at a university. (Present Simple affirmative)

2. Andrew doesn’t like playing poker. (Present Simple negative)

3. Does she write songs in her free time? - Yes, she does. (Present Simple question)

Unit 3: Work Hard, Play Hard – Detailed Grammar

1. Present Simple (I/you/we/they)

• Affirmative:

o Use the base form of the verb: I work, You live, We go, They like.

• Negative:

o Use don’t + base verb: I don’t work, We don’t go to the gym.

• Questions:

o Use do + subject + base verb: Do you like singing?

▪ Short answers: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.

Examples:

• Affirmative: I love playing the guitar.

• Negative: We don’t go shopping on weekdays.

• Question: Do you relax on Sundays? - Yes, I do.

2. Adverbs of Frequency

• Used to describe how often something happens.

o Common adverbs: always, usually, often, sometimes, never.

o Position:

▪ Before the main verb: I always wake up early.

▪ After the verb "to be": She is often late.

Examples:
 • He always finishes work at 6 p.m.

• They never play tennis on Mondays.

• Do you usually go to the gym?

3. Questions with "Why/When/Where/What"

• Structure: Question word + do + subject + base verb

o Why do you like your job?

o When do they travel to work?

o Where do you go on weekends?

Examples:

• What do you do on Saturdays? - I visit my family.

• Why don’t they come to the park? - Because they’re busy.

Example Sentences:

1. I usually work late on weekdays, but I always relax on Sundays. (Adverbs of

frequency)

2. They don’t cook on Sundays because they eat out. (Present Simple negative)

3. Where do you go on vacation? - I usually travel to Italy. (Question with Present

Simple

Unit 4: Somewhere to Live – Detailed Grammar

1. There is/There are

• Used to describe the existence of something.

o Affirmative:

▪ Singular: There is (There’s) + singular noun: There’s a sofa in the

living room.

▪ Plural: There are + plural noun: There are two bedrooms in the flat.

o Negative:
 ▪ Singular: There isn’t + singular noun: There isn’t a garden.

▪ Plural: There aren’t + plural noun: There aren’t any carpets.

o Questions:

▪ Singular: Is there + singular noun?: Is there a shower?

▪ Plural: Are there + plural noun?: Are there any pictures?

Examples:

• Affirmative: There is a big living room in the flat.

• Negative: There aren’t any chairs in the kitchen.

• Question: Is there a dining room? - Yes, there is.

2. some, any, a lot of

• some: Used in affirmative sentences and polite offers/requests.

o There are some books on the table.

o Can I have some water?

• any: Used in negatives and questions.

o There aren’t any towels in the bathroom.

o Do you have any glasses?

• a lot of: Used to describe large quantities in both affirmative and negative
sentences.

o There are a lot of clothes in the wardrobe.

Examples:

• She has some plates, but she doesn’t have any cups.

• There are a lot of pictures on the wall.

3. this/that/these/those

• this: Refers to a singular object close to the speaker.

o This chair is very comfortable.

 • that: Refers to a singular object far from the speaker.

o That sofa is new.

• these: Refers to plural objects close to the speaker.

o These pictures are beautiful.

• those: Refers to plural objects far from the speaker.

o Those curtains are expensive.

Examples:

• I like this lamp, but I don’t like that table.

• How much are these mugs?

Example Sentences:

1. There’s a sofa and two armchairs in the living room. (There is/are)

2. Do you have any mugs? - No, but I have some glasses. (some/any)

3. I like this picture, but those are too big. (this/that/these/those)

Unit 5: Super Me! – Detailed Grammar

1. can/can’t (Ability or Possibility)

• Used to talk about abilities or possibilities.

o Affirmative: Subject + can + base verb

▪ I can swim. / She can draw.

o Negative: Subject + can’t (cannot) + base verb

▪ He can’t ride a bike. / We can’t play the guitar.

o Questions: Can + subject + base verb?

▪ Can you cook? - Yes, I can. / No, I can’t.

Examples:

• Affirmative: I can speak French quite well.

• Negative: They can’t ski at all.

 • Question: Can he play the guitar? - Yes, he can.

2. was/were (Past Tense of "to be")

• Affirmative:

o Singular: I was, He/She/It was.

o Plural: You/We/They were.

• Negative:

o Singular: I wasn’t, He/She/It wasn’t.

o Plural: You/We/They weren’t.

• Questions:

o Singular: Was I/he/she/it...?

o Plural: Were you/we/they...?

Examples:

• Affirmative: He was at school yesterday.

• Negative: We weren’t at home last night.

• Question: Were you tired after the trip? - Yes, I was.

3. could (Past Ability)

• could: Used to talk about past abilities.

o Affirmative: Subject + could + base verb

▪ I could swim when I was five.

o Negative: Subject + couldn’t + base verb

▪ She couldn’t ride a bike as a child.

o Questions: Could + subject + base verb?

▪ Could they read at a young age?

Examples:
 • Affirmative: He could run very fast as a child.

• Negative: She couldn’t speak English before she moved here.

• Question: Could you play the piano at ten? - Yes, I could.

Example Sentences:

1. I can draw very well, but I can’t play chess. (can/can’t)

2. He was born in 1990, and his parents were teachers. (was/were)

3. She could read when she was only four years old. (could for past ability)

Unit 6: Life’s Ups and Downs – Detailed Grammar

1. Past Simple (Regular Verbs)

• Affirmative:

o Add -ed to the base verb: I worked, She visited, They played.

• Negative:

o Use didn’t + base verb: I didn’t work, She didn’t visit.

• Questions:

o Use Did + subject + base verb?

▪ Did you study? - Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.

Examples:

• Affirmative: She cleaned the house yesterday.

• Negative: They didn’t finish their homework.

• Question: Did you watch the movie last night? - Yes, I did.

2. Past Simple (Irregular Verbs)

• Irregular verbs do not follow the -ed rule and must be memorized.

o Examples: go → went, have → had, meet → met, come → came, win → won.

• Negative and Questions: Use didn’t or Did with the base form.
 o Negative: I didn’t go to the park.

o Question: Did she come to the meeting?

Examples:

• Affirmative: He met his friends at the cafe.

• Negative: She didn’t eat breakfast this morning.

• Question: Did they win the game? - No, they didn’t.

3. Time Expressions in the Past

• Used to indicate when something happened.

o Common expressions: last night, yesterday morning, two days ago, in 2015.

Examples:

• I went to the cinema last weekend.

• She started a new job two years ago.

Example Sentences:

1. I studied French last night, but I didn’t practice speaking it. (Past Simple regular)

2. He had lunch at 1 p.m. yesterday. (Past Simple irregular)

3. Did you visit the museum last week? - Yes, I did. (Past Simple question)

Unit 7: Dates to Remember – Detailed Grammar

1. Past Simple (Irregular and Regular Verbs)

• Covered in Unit 6, with additional examples focusing on historical events and

specific time periods.

o Affirmative: He sold the first car in 1908.

o Negative: They didn’t use computers 50 years ago.

o Question: When did they build this bridge?

Examples:

• Affirmative: She traveled to Paris in 2001.

 • Negative: They didn’t have mobile phones 30 years ago.

• Question: Did he win the award last year? - Yes, he did.

2. Time Expressions

• Prepositions for time:

o in + years/months/periods: in 1908, in July, in the 20th century.

o on + specific days: on Monday, on the 4th of July.

o at + specific times: at 9:00, at midnight.

o ago for elapsed time: 50 years ago, three weeks ago.

Examples:

• The Wright brothers flew the first airplane in 1903.

• The event happened on Friday at 7 p.m.

• They visited this museum five years ago.

3. Adverbs

• Used to describe actions in the past.

o Common adverbs: quickly, carefully, badly, fast, hard, well.

o Examples:

▪ He completed the race quickly.

▪ She wrote the essay carefully.

▪ They performed the task well.

4. Questions with "How Many/When/Why"

• Use Question word + did + subject + base verb.

o How many people attended the event?

o When did they start the project?

 o Why didn’t she come to the meeting?

Examples:

• When did they invent the telephone?

• Why didn’t you call me yesterday?

Example Sentences:

1. Henry Ford sold the first car in 1908. (Past Simple with time expression)

2. The train didn’t leave on time. (Negative Past Simple)

3. How many students passed the exam? (Question with "How many")

Unit 8: Eat In or Out? – Detailed Grammar

1. Countable and Uncountable Nouns

• Countable nouns: Can be counted; use singular/plural forms (apple/apples).

o Examples: a banana, two apples, three oranges.

• Uncountable nouns: Cannot be counted; singular form only (tea, rice).

o Examples: milk, cheese, bread.

Key Rules:

• Use a/an with singular countable nouns: a tomato, an egg.

• Use some for affirmative sentences (both countable and uncountable):

o There are some apples. There’s some milk.

• Use any for negatives and questions:

o I don’t have any sugar. Do you have any apples?

2. some, any, many, much

• some: Used in affirmative sentences or polite offers/requests.

o There are some tomatoes. Would you like some tea?

• any: Used in negative sentences and questions.

 o We don’t have any cheese. Are there any eggs?

• many: Used with countable nouns, typically in negatives and questions.

o How many apples do you have? / I don’t have many books.

• much: Used with uncountable nouns, typically in negatives and questions.

o How much sugar do you need? / We don’t have much milk.

3. How Much/How Many

• How much: Used with uncountable nouns.

o How much water is there?

• How many: Used with countable nouns.

o How many eggs are in the fridge?

4. Preferences (like vs. would like)

• like: Expresses general preferences.

o I like tea.

• would like: Expresses a specific desire or polite request.

o I’d like some coffee, please.

Examples:

• I like pasta, but I’d like some soup today.

• Do you like chocolate? - Yes, I do.

5. Cooking Verbs

• Common verbs: chop, fry, boil, mix.

o He boiled the potatoes.

o She’s mixing the ingredients.

Example Sentences:

1. I have some apples, but I don’t have any bananas. (some/any)

2. How much milk do you need? - Just a little. (How much)

3. I’d like a coffee, please. (would like for requests)

Unit 9: City Living – Detailed Grammar

1. Comparative Adjectives

• Used to compare two things.

o Short adjectives: Add -er (or just -r for adjectives ending in "e") + than:

▪ big → bigger than, nice → nicer than.

o Long adjectives: Use more + adjective + than:

▪ more expensive than, more interesting than.

o Irregular adjectives: good → better than, bad → worse than, far →

farther/further than.

Examples:

• Paris is bigger than Rome.

• This hotel is more expensive than that one.

• The weather today is worse than yesterday.

2. Superlative Adjectives

• Used to show the highest degree of a quality.

o Short adjectives: Add -est (or just -st for adjectives ending in "e") + the:

▪ big → the biggest, nice → the nicest.

o Long adjectives: Use the most + adjective:

▪ the most expensive, the most interesting.

o Irregular adjectives: good → the best, bad → the worst, far → the
farthest/furthest.

Examples:
 • New York is the biggest city in the USA.

• This is the most beautiful park in the area.

• He is the best player on the team.

3. have got

• Expresses possession or relationships (similar to have).

o Affirmative: Subject + have/has got:

▪ I’ve got a car. She’s got a new house.

o Negative: Subject + haven’t/hasn’t got:

▪ I haven’t got any pets. He hasn’t got a job.

o Questions: Have/Has + subject + got?

▪ Have you got a pen? Has she got a car?

Examples:

• I’ve got a good job.

• We haven’t got enough money for the trip.

• Have they got a house in London? - Yes, they have.

4. Prepositions of Direction

• Used to describe movement:

o over, along, round, through.

o Examples:

▪ Go over the bridge.

▪ Walk along the street.

▪ Turn round the corner.

▪ Drive through the tunnel.

Example Sentences:

1. This city is safer than that one. (Comparative adjective)

2. She’s got a bigger apartment than her sister. (have got + comparative)

3. Follow the signs through the park to get there. (Prepositions of direction)

Unit 10: Where on Earth Are You? – Detailed Grammar

1. in/at/on for Places

• Prepositions to describe location:

o in: Used for enclosed spaces, countries, cities, and large areas.

▪ She’s in the room. / They live in Paris.

o at: Used for specific points or locations.

▪ He’s at the door. / We’re at the airport.

o on: Used for surfaces or specific lines.

▪ The keys are on the table. / She’s on the bus.

Examples:

• I’m in bed, but he’s at work.

• The book is on the desk.

2. Present Continuous (Actions Happening Now)

• Form: Subject + am/is/are + verb(-ing)

o Affirmative: I’m cooking. She’s working.

o Negative: I’m not watching TV. They aren’t playing.

o Question: What are you doing? / Is he studying?

Examples:

• Affirmative: She’s writing a letter.

• Negative: They aren’t playing football right now.

• Question: Are you coming to the party? - Yes, I am.

3. Present Simple vs. Present Continuous

• Present Simple: Used for routines, habits, and facts.

o He works in a bank.

o I usually wake up at 7 a.m.

• Present Continuous: Used for actions happening now or temporary actions.

o He’s working late today.

o I’m staying at a hotel this week.

Examples:

• I usually walk to work, but today I’m taking the bus.

• He’s studying English now, but he speaks Spanish fluently.

4. something/nothing, somebody/nobody

• Indefinite pronouns:

o something/nothing: Refers to things.

▪ I need something to eat. / There’s nothing in the fridge.

o somebody/nobody: Refers to people.

▪ Somebody is at the door. / Nobody came to the meeting.

Examples:

• Is there something I can help you with?

• Nobody was in the room.

Example Sentences:

1. I’m reading a book while she’s watching TV. (Present Continuous for actions now)

2. He works at a hospital, but today he’s at a conference. (Present Simple vs.

Continuous)

3. There’s nothing in the bag, but somebody left it here. (Indefinite pronouns)
Unit 11: Going Far – Detailed Grammar

1. going to for Future Plans

• Used to express future intentions or plans.

o Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb

▪ I’m going to travel next week.

o Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + going to + base verb

▪ She isn’t going to attend the meeting.

o Questions: Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + base verb?

▪ Are they going to visit Paris?

Examples:

• Affirmative: We’re going to watch a movie tonight.

• Negative: He’s not going to buy a new car.

• Question: Is she going to study abroad? - Yes, she is.

2. Infinitive of Purpose

• Structure: to + base verb used to explain the reason or purpose of an action.

o We’re going to Egypt to see the pyramids.

o He studies English to improve his job prospects.

Examples:

• She’s going to the library to borrow some books.

• They traveled to the mountains to enjoy the fresh air.

3. What’s the Weather Like?

• Vocabulary and expressions related to weather.

o Adjectives: sunny, rainy, cloudy, warm, cool, dry, windy.

o Common phrases:
 ▪ What’s the weather like? - It’s sunny and warm.

▪ Is it raining outside? - Yes, it’s pouring.

Examples:

• It’s going to be sunny tomorrow.

• The weather is warm, but it’s a bit windy.

4. Making Suggestions

• Phrases to propose actions or ideas:

o Let’s... + base verb: Let’s go to the beach.

o Why don’t we... + base verb: Why don’t we try that restaurant?

o What shall we do?

o I’ll... for spontaneous decisions: I’ll get my coat.

Examples:

• Let’s go out for dinner tonight.

• Why don’t we watch a movie?

Example Sentences:

1. I’m going to visit my grandparents next weekend. (going to for future plans)

2. She’s going to the shop to buy some milk. (Infinitive of purpose)

3. It’s cloudy today, but it’s not going to rain. (Weather-related expressions)

4. Why don’t we take a walk in the park? (Making suggestions)

Unit 12: Never Ever! – Detailed Grammar

1. Present Perfect

• Used to describe experiences, actions, or events in the past that are connected to
the present.

o Form: Subject + have/has + past participle

▪ I have been to Rome. / She has finished her homework.

 o Negative: Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle

▪ They haven’t traveled abroad.

o Questions: Have/Has + subject + past participle?

▪ Have you ever visited Paris?

Examples:

• Affirmative: We’ve seen this movie before.

• Negative: She hasn’t called her parents yet.

• Question: Have they finished the project? - Yes, they have.

2. ever and never

• ever: Used in questions to ask about experiences.

o Have you ever tried sushi?

• never: Used in affirmative sentences to mean "not at any time."

o I’ve never been to Japan.

Examples:

• Have you ever met a celebrity? - Yes, I have.

• I’ve never seen such a beautiful sunset.

3. yet and just

• yet: Used in negative sentences and questions to mean "until now."

o They haven’t arrived yet. / Have you finished your homework yet?

• just: Used to describe something that happened very recently.

o She’s just left the room.

Examples:

• We haven’t booked the tickets yet.

• He’s just completed his assignment.

4. Past Participles

• Irregular verbs require memorization of their past participles:

o Examples: go → gone, see → seen, eat → eaten, take → taken, give → given.

• Regular verbs follow the -ed rule:

o Examples: work → worked, play → played.

Examples:

• She’s flown to Paris twice this year. (Irregular)

• They’ve visited the museum. (Regular)

5. Tense Revision

• A quick recap of previously learned tenses to distinguish:

o Present: She works every day. / She’s working now.

o Past: She worked yesterday.

o Future: She’s going to work tomorrow.

o Present Perfect: She’s worked there for two years.

Example Sentences:

1. Have you ever been to London? - Yes, I have. (Present Perfect with ever)

2. I’ve just finished my lunch. (Present Perfect with just)

3. They haven’t arrived yet, but they’re on their way. (Present Perfect with yet)

4. She’s never tried Indian food. (Present Perfect with never)